A man has been found guilty of stabbing his wife to death then starting a house fire to cover up the murder.
Amidu Koroma, 48, of Railton Road, Brixton, was found guilty of murdering of Mariam Kamara, 46, following a trial at the Old Bailey.
Police said the “brutal murder” was an “appalling act” and that starting a fire to cover his tracks “put other members of the public at risk”.
Detectives launched a murder inquiry after being called to a house fire on Railton Road in the early hours of January 24, 2022.
Koroma and the couple’s son had escaped but Ms Kamara’s body was found in an upstairs bedroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police were immediately suspicious. Koroma had made little effort to rescue his wife from the burning building but had time to gather some clothes for his son.
They also found a large store of jerry cans containing petrol in the loft and detectives could smell accelerant coming from the vicinity of Ms Kamara’s body. This led them to suspect the fire had been started deliberately.
Despite her body being extremely damaged by the fire, a post-mortem examination established she’d suffered one or more stab wounds to the neck and chest before the fire was set.
Detectives undertook an extensive investigation which included a thorough search of the property, gathering witness statements and drawing on expert advice.
A forensic scientist was drafted in who said it was likely the fire had been started by the ignition of petrol.
A consultant plastic surgeon also said a burn on Koroma’s foot of about eight to nine centimetres could only have been caused by close contact with fire.
This contradicted his claims that he’d been unable to access the room where the fire was to rescue his wife.
Forensic evidence also revealed Mariam’s blood was on his clothing as well as burn damage caused by a transient flame.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Wood, who led the investigation, said: “This was a brutal murder and an appalling act of violence against a woman.
“After murdering his wife, Koroma then started a fire to cover up his actions. This was a further selfish act which put other members of the public at risk.
“My officers conducted an in-depth investigation into this murder and worked hard to gather a range of evidence which pointed to Koroma as the killer.
“Our thoughts are with Ms Kamara’s family and friends and in particular with her son who we continue to support through this trauma.
“The Met is committed to reducing violence against women and thankfully Ms Kamara’s killer has been brought to justice today.”
Koroma was also convicted of arson with intent to endanger life. He will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday, October 16.